Real estate is an industry with a lot of layers. With aspects covering sales, finance, law, and plenty of other fields, being a REALTOR requires a lot of business expertise. It can be daunting to sound authoritative and reassuring about all those ins and outs, so it’s natural to try to dress up your language to sound more professional.
However, we’re here to give you pause, because it’s not the best way to do it! Adding unnecessary flair like jargon and buzzwords can hurt your ability to win over clients. Additionally, stale “professional” words can fall flat. So, take the time to ask yourself: Are you talking like an actual human?
Talking Smarter, Not Harder
Trust us, we know it’s not revelatory to say that corporate-speak doesn’t really work when it comes to actually communicating with an audience. Saying things like “utilize” instead of “use,” or “deploy” instead of “use,” or “leverage” instead of, you guessed it, “use” actually can hurt trust and good standing. Consider this:
Trying to sound smarter can actually make you appear less intelligent. Princeton psychologist Daniel Oppenheimer conducted a series of experiments in which simpler words were replaced with unnecessarily complex ones. The more complex writing caused readers to rate the authors as less intelligent, not more intelligent. The effect was linked to processing fluency: when something is harder to process, people tend to evaluate it less favorably. – Wiley Online Library
We’ve got new technologies, legal frameworks, and industry policies coming at us fast. Trying to dress up language with three-dollar words only makes it more laborious to understand what it is you’re really trying to say. Telling your clients how things are, what they are, and what you can do in simple yet effective language will make you seem more like an expert, not less.
From the Desk of CMO Nicole Aguilar
The personal thoughts of CRMLS’s Chief Marketing Officer
We’ve spent years optimizing marketing language for greater efficiency, but these days we may just be optimizing the humanity out of it, too. A little bit of personal flair, something that says “I’m not just reciting a script but have real thoughts,” can take you far. Your brand deserves personality and that means using your own, unique voice.
You Are Not a Robot
We know a lot of people are using AI these days, but it’s become a crutch for some folks in professional fields. They’re using it to optimize their language, but overly optimized language runs the risk of sounding inhuman.
Consider this basic description: A 2 bed, 2 bath home built in the last 10 years. There’s a backyard, a detached garage, and the living room windows face southwest. This is conventionally considered a starter home in a medium-rated school district.
Now, let’s ask AI to make this sound more professional and marketable:
”Built within the last 10 years, this attractive 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom residence combines contemporary design with everyday convenience. Highlights include a spacious backyard, detached garage, and a sun-filled living room with desirable southwest exposure. Situated in an ideal community with a moderately rated school district, this property represents an excellent opportunity for first-time buyers seeking comfort, value, and long-term potential.”
The problem isn’t the AI description itself. The problem would be generating thousands of the same descriptions every day. AI amplifies the language we already use, which is why it’s more important to evolve past it. Inevitably, the more things read the same, the less likely anyone will actually read it. Â
From the Kitchen of Chef Ian
CRMLS Product & Event Supervisor and resident gourmand Ian Huss is serving up his favorite avocado-focused recipes. This month: a briny side salad, Avocado w/ Herbs and Capers.
Ingredients:Â
- 6 avocados Â
- 3 diced Roma tomatoes
- ÂĽ cup diced onion
- 2 tbsp minced jalapeno
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 3 tbsp minced cilantro
Directions:Â Â
Slice the avocados in half, pit them, and use a spoon to widen the space where the pit was. In a bowl, combine the other ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the mixture into the avocado halves and serve with spoons.  Â
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